Tama the stationmaster cat has died

We’re sad to report that Tama the stationmaster cat has passed away at the age of 16 (just over 80 in human years).

Tama was famed for her unusual role as the stationmaster at Kishi railway station in Wakayama, western Japan.

Tama – a calico cat with distinctive black, white and ginger patches – was officially named stationmaster in January 2007, and was credited with turning round the fortunes of the station, which had previously been on the brink of closure.

Tama held the role since 2007 (Picture: Getty Images)

In fact ABC News reported on a study claiming that her fame contributed an incredible 1.1 billion yen to the local economy in 2007 alone.

In 2008 Tama was promoted to ‘super stationmaster’ in a ceremony attended by the companies president and the local mayor, making her the only female in a managerial position in the entire company.

Tama at the ceremony celebrating her new role as ‘super stationmaster’ (Picture: Flickr/ Douglas Sprott)

At the time, Yoshiko Yamaki, a spokeswoman for the rail company, joked: ‘She now holds the fifth highest position in the company.’

According to Wakayama Electric Railway Co., Tama had been recuperating in a local animal hospital from rhinitis since May, and died of suspected of acute heart failure on Monday.